Competes
with the Fiery Skipper as the most common in Arkansas. Also loves yards and
gardens. Males and females are somewhat different. This female shows the white
chevron block pattern which can be very bright or barely noticeable. This one
was on a butterfly bush in my yard that pulls Sachems down from the heavens
like a magnet. When I realized I did not have a female Sachem shot I walked
straight there and had over twenty around me for my choosing.

Male
Sachems are very variable as well. This one shows the orange pattern laced
with the usual smudgey darkenings (or something like that). Confusing to many
but the pattern is generally close to this with a diamond or triangle of
orange bordered by the shadowed areas. Inside, the open-winged male has a
large dark orb centrally which is very characteristic of this butterfly.
Larger than the Fiery Skippers which it competes with for nectar sites in
virtually every yard in the southern US.

Female upperside showing
the white sharktooth markings and orange pattern that defines them. They
retain the suggestion of the males large dark spot but often have less
orange than this individual.

Male with the black void
around the stigma which sits in the midst of all the surrounding orange
which makes it unlike all other orange skippers in Arkansas.

And a fresh April male on
blackberry blooms with the dark box visible inside.